Alignment bar and type protector for use in embossing machines



Oct- 27,192s. 1,559,130

G. s. WALPOLE ALIGNMENT BAR AND TYPE PROTECTOR FOR USE IN EMBOSSINGMACHINES Filed Jan. 31; 19 24 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE 70 Oct. 27, 1925.1,559,136

G. S. WALPOLE ALIGNMENT BAR AND TYPE PROTECTOR FOR USE IN EMBOSSINGMACHINES- Filed Jan. 31, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE STANLEY WALPOLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ALIGNMENT BAR AND TYPE rnomizc'roit r03 USE. in EMBOSSING MACHINES.

Application filed January 31, 1924.. Serial No. 689,773.

7 To all whom it may concern the King of Great Britain, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Alignment Barsand Type Protectors for Use in Embossing Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to alignment bars and type protectors, and itrelates particularly to such devices for use in embossing machines ofthe type known as cutter-crush machines, intended to produce embossedwords, letters, numerals, designs, or the like, on cardboard or likematerial, the embossed portions being further generally covered withcoloured paper or the like, which is cut out and pressed into recessesformed by the type, by means of cuttingedges provided thereon; I

The object of the invention is to provide a simple alignment bar, whichwill serve as an easy and simple means for correctly positioning thecards to be embossed, whilst italso serves forv the correct alignmentand the protection of the type or embossing dies. Other advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following description. -.According tothe invention, I provide a positive stop between the card and thepressure member of an embossing machine of the kind described, thedimensions of this stop being such that it takes the pressure when thetype has been impressed into the card or the like, to the requiredextent, and thus prevents the type being damaged. The inventionv furthercomprises an improved alignment bar, forfacilitating the; correctalignment and positioning of the'card and e V type'in the machine, andthe alignment bar may at the same time with advantage, serve as the stopor type protector referred to. The alignment. bar is adapted'normally'to rest on the press platen, and to be remov ably secured thereto, inthe correct position, by means of lateral members, which when a card isinserted between theplaten and the bar, serve as abutments against whichthe card can be easily and quickly positioned.

These lateral members may take the form. of downwardly depending bars orthe like,

one of which is, rectangularly secured at eachend ofthe bar, and whichare adapted to ,fit into recesses, or between pins, or be otherwiseconveniently secured to the platen.

Otherfeatures of the invention Will, be described hereinafter, and apreferred method of carrying it out, is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which :Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an alignment bar andtype protector according to theinvention, and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line A-A of l, the bar being in this caseshown in its operative position with a card. I Figure 3 isfa perspectiveview of one form of an embossing machine, showingthe application of thepresent invention, and

'Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 3, witha card in- Referring to the drawings, I have illus trated in Figs. 3 and4, oneform of an embossing or cutter crush machine, to which the presentinvention is applicable, although the invention is not limited to usewith this particular form of cutter crush machine, which per se forms nopart of the present invention. I

The machine comprisesa base plate 6, a

table 7, pivoted at 8 to the base 6 and lower platen 2, slidablydisposed on the table 7. An upper platen 10 is disposed in fixed butadjustable relationship to the frame, and a cam shaft 11, which may berotated by means of a hand lever 12 is provided for lifting the table,so that the work may be pressed between the two platens, the cams on theshaft 11 being so adjusted that at their maximum lift, the lower platen2 is parallel with the upper platen 10. A wedge member 13 is provided ina suitable bridge piece and preferably supported by four c'olumnsld foradjusting the position of the to the base. I I

In operation a card or the like is arranged on -the lower platen 2, andone or more piecesof embossing type 16, having cutting edges thereon arearranged on the card,

with paper of any desired color between the pressure'is appliedbymeansof the hand' lever 12, and when the letters, numerals, or designsof the type used will be embossed on the card and produced thereon withan adhesive covering of the colored paper being employed, the v paperpreferably provided with an adhesive backing of any suitable kind.

For the purposes hereinafter described,-

I provide a positive stop between the pressure member, i. e. in thepresent case the platen 10', and the card 3, and this positive step maytake the form of an alignment bar, although it may alsobe provided inother forms. I have found that if this positive stop is constructed ofsufiiciently great strength, for example, of a metal bar having a flatunderside, it acts as a protector for the type in a manner hereinafterdescribed, and that the impression made by the stop on the card is sosmall as to be practically imperceptible to the naked eye.

In the drawings 1 have illustrated such a positive stop in the form ofan alignment bar. This bar consists of a straight edged bar 1,preferably made of iron, steel, or the like, and adapted normally torest flat on the platen or table 2, on which the card 3 to be embossedis disposed. Secured at either extremity, and to the under-side of thebar 1, are two transverse downwardly depending side members a, which areadapted 'tolit into recesses 5 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, cut inthe sides of the table or pia ten, the length of the bar 1, and thearrangement of the said side members l and recesses 5 being such thatthe bar is normally held rigidly at right angles to the edges of thetable or platen 2, and rests on the upper surface of the said table,with the upper edges of the side members flush with the edges of thetable. If desired, the recesses referred to as being disposed in thesides of the table, may be replaced by suitably spaced pins 17, as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings, or other like means, adapted to engage and tohold the said side members. The-card to be embossed, is inserted betweenthe platen or table 2, and the alignment bar 1, as illustrated in Fig.2, whereby the said bar, with its side members 4, is raised by thethickness of the card 3, the side members thus projecting'above the edgo of the table by the thickness of the card, and thus forming abutmentsagainst which the card can easily and rapidl be placed in correctalignment on the tab e. This arrangement prevents the card fromslipping, or from being incorrectly adjusted, the'bar being ofsuflicient weight to hold the card in position. i

If desired, the upper face of the alignment-bar may be graduated in anyconvenient manner, to assist in the, correct spacing of I the type. i

I have found that if the type is pressed or punched too far into thecard, not only istheimpression obtained an imperfect one,

but the cutting edges of the type itself are liable to be ruined. Itherefore construct my alignment bar of a thickness less than the heightof the type, the difference being the preferred or permissible depth ofimpression for the type.- It follows that when the type has beenimpressed or punched into the card until its upper surface is flush withthe alignment bar, any further pressure put on by the operator will betaken by the rigid alignment bar, and the type thus protected.

If it should be found advisable to use various different sizes or shapesof type or dies in a machine, and that these different sizes or shapesof dies should be preferably impressed into the cards to differentthicknesses and depths respectively, then the thickness of the alignmentbar is such as to be less than the height of the type by the mean valueof the preferred or permissible depths of impression for the differenttypes. instead of arranging the thickness of the alignment bar to be ofthe mean value stated, separate alignment bars for various kinds of typecould of course be used.

It should be noted that the protection of type forms a material part ofmy invention, as l have found that other known methods for preventingexcess of pressure being put on the type, such as for example, theprovision of an adjustable" stop, to prevent the pressure handle beingmoved too far, have proved unsatisfactory. Accordingiy I have found thatthe type is more efficiently protected by inserting a positive stop, inthe form of a steel, iron or like bar or member, between the card andthe pressure member, this stop. being of course arranged with therequisite thickness above referred to. For convenience and simplicity ofoperation, I use my improved alignment bar to serve at the same time asa type protector, but it should be understood that the insertion betweenthe card and the pressure member of a positive stop for the purpose ofprotecting the type, does not fall outside the scope of the presentinvention, even though that stop be not used as an alignment bar.

In addition to providing a rapid means for the correct positioning ofthe card, the alignmentbar also serves to assist in the correctpositioning of the type or die, which can either be placed looselyagainst the bar, or else can be assembled in various units in a suitabletype holding device, which latter device when placed against the bar,will antomatically be disposed at right angles to the edges of thetable, and hence also of the card.

The use of the improved alignment bar has many advantages over I otherdevices which have hitherto been used in connection with embossingmachines of the type described. In most of these machines it has beenthe practice to provide the table with a plurality of suitablyspacedlines, with reference to which both the card, and in some cases also thetype, were adjusted.

This operation requires to be done by eye, and. it is obvious that thepresent device, which provides a positive means of adjusting the card bytouch, is both more easy and more rapid than that depending onadjustment by eye.

Furthermore, where it is desired to emboss a plurality of figures,letters or the like, in column, the positive adjustment provided ensuresthe several impressions being correctly aligned one beneath the other.

It will be seen that the improved alignment bar herein described,provides a simple, efficient, rapid and accurate means for holding thecard to be embossed, in the correct position with reference to thetable, and for continuing to hold it in the same position, through aseries of embossing operations, whilst it further provides a means forassisting in the correct alignment not only of the card, but also ofthetype or dies, a further important feature being that it also serves toprotect the type from clamage.

Whilst I do not desire the invention to be limited in this respect, Imay say that I prefer to use the improved alignment bar in conjunctionwith a type holding bar of the kind described in my co-pendingspecifications Nos. 2909/23 and 5202/23, although it is to be understoodthat the type or dies may, if desired, be arranged in any otherconvenient manner.

I claim:

1. An alignment bar for use on embossing machines of the kind described,comprising a metal bar, adapted normally to rest on the platen, and tobe removably secured in the correct position thereon by means of lateralmembers, which serve as abutments for positioning the card when thelatter is inserted between the platen and the bar.

2. An alignment bar for use on embossing machines, comprising a baradapted to rest on the platen, means for removably securing said bar incard alignment on said platen, said means serving to position the cardor the like when the latter is inserted between the platen and the bar.

3. An alignment bar for use on embossing machines, comprising a baradapted to rest wardly depending rectangularly disposed" member adaptedto extend over the side of the platen.

5. In combination with an embossing machine having a platen adapted toreceive a card and type for embossing on said card, means for exertingpressure on said type, and means for protecting said type comprising amember constituting a positive stop between said card and pressureexerting means. I g

6. In combination with an embossing machine having a platen adapted toreceive a card and type for embossing on said card, means for exertingpressure on said type, and means serving both as an alignment bar forfacilitating the correct positioning of the card and type and forprotecting said type from undue pressure from said pressure exertingmeans.

7 In combination with an embossing machine having a platen adapted toreceive a card and type for embossing on said card, means for exertingpressure on said type, and a member positioned between and forming apositive stop between the card and pressure exerting means, said memberalso serving as an alignment bar for facilitating the correctpositioning of the card and type.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE STANLEY WALPOLE.

